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    CAT 2026 Notification OUT: Fee Up, Conducting IIM Update; What Changed and What Stayed Exactly

    CAT 2026 Notification OUT: Fee Up, Conducting IIM Update; What Changed and What Stayed Exactly

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    Gursimran KaurUpdated on 03 Aug 2026, 10:42 AM IST

    The official CAT 2026 notification was released on July 25, 2026. IIM Indore released the CAT 2026 application form on August 03, 2026. The CAT 2026 notification has brought clarity for the candidates. The latest notification suggests a familiar framework for the CAT 2026 exam. The major updates are limited to administrative aspects such as the CAT 2026 application fee (Rs. 2700 for GEN) and the official CAT 2026 registration schedule. While the exam pattern, syllabus, eligibility criteria, marking scheme, and reservation policy remain unchanged. Check out what changed and what has remained the same for the CAT 2026 exam to be held on November 29, 2026.
    CAT 2026 Application Form Direct Link

    This Story also Contains

    1. CAT 2026 Notification Released: CAT exam Highlights
    2. CAT 2026 Exam Notification Out: What has Changed?
    3. CAT 2026 Notification Released: What Remained Unchanged?
    4. CAT Exam Conducted by IIM Indore: A Comparison
    CAT 2026 Notification OUT: Fee Up, Conducting IIM Update; What Changed and What Stayed Exactly
    CAT 2026 Notification

    CAT 2026 Notification Released: CAT exam Highlights

    The CAT 2026 notification is out. Aspirants preparing for the most important MBA entrance exam can register from August 03, 2026, at the official website. Here are some of the key highlights of the CAT 2026 exam.

    CAT 2026 Particulars

    CAT 2026 Details

    CAT 2026 Notification Status

    Released

    CAT Conducting Institute

    IIM Indore

    CAT 2026 Exam Date

    November 29, 2026 (Sunday)

    Exam Mode for CAT

    Computer-Based Test (CBT)

    Number of Sessions

    3 (Morning, Afternoon & Evening)

    CAT 2026 Registration Start Date

    August 03, 2026 (Monday) (10 AM)

    Last Date for CAT 2026 Registration

    September 15, 2026 (5 PM)

    CAT 2026 Application Fee

    Rs. 2700 - GEN, OBC, EWS
    Rs. 1350 - SC, ST, PwD

    CAT 2026 Admit Card

    November 04 to 29, 2026

    CAT 2026 Result Release

    First week of January 2027

    Total Sections in CAT 2026 Exam

    3 (VARC, DILR, QA)

    Exam Duration

    120 Minutes (40 minutes per section)

    Question Type

    MCQs & TITA (Type In The Answer)

    CAT 2026 Marking Scheme

    +3 for Correct, -1 for Incorrect MCQs, No Negative Marking for TITA Questions

    Eligibility for the CAT 2026 exam

    Bachelor's degree with minimum 50% (general) qualifying marks; final-year students can apply

    Reservation policy

    As per Government of India norms

    CAT 2026 Accepting Institutes

    22 IIMs and 1,300+ MBA colleges

    CAT 2026 Exam Notification Out: What has Changed?

    Candidates who wish to appear for the CAT 2026 exam on November 29, 2026, can see what changes have been made to the CAT 2026 exam in comparison to last year.

    CAT 2026 Application Fee

    The biggest change seen every year is the CAT application fee. The CAT 2026 application fee has been increased by Rs. 100 for the GEN, OBC, and EWS candidates. For the reserved category candidates, such as SC, ST, and PwD students, the increase will be Rs. 50.
    After the increase, the CAT 2026 application fee is Rs. 2700 for GEN, OBC, and EWS, and Rs. 1350 for SC, ST, and PwD candidates.

    Conducting IIM

    A key update in CAT 2026 is the change in the conducting institute. After IIM Kozhikode conducted CAT 2025, the responsibility for CAT 2026 has been given to IIM Indore, which last conducted the CAT exam in 2020. While the conducting IIM oversees the examination process, registration, and question paper, aspirants should note that a change in the conducting institute does not necessarily mean a change in all major aspects of the exam.

    Difficulty level

    While the notification does not mention any change in the syllabus or exam pattern, candidates can expect some changes in the difficulty level of the exam. If IIM Indore follows a similar philosophy in CAT 2026, aspirants should prepare for a paper that rewards accuracy, conceptual clarity, and time management rather than speed alone. IIM Indore is conducting the CAT 2026; IIM Indore may make the CAT 2026 exam extremely difficult, but it is expected to be strategically challenging for the aspirants.

    CAT 2026 Notification Released: What Remained Unchanged?

    CAT 2026 notification has been released by the authorities, containing important information regarding the CAT 2026 exam. Here, candidates can check what aspects of the CAT 2026 exam have remained unchanged as per the CAT 2026 notification.

    CAT 2026 Exam pattern

    The CAT 2026 exam pattern remains exactly the same as the previous edition. The exam will be conducted in Computer-Based Test (CBT) mode in three slots, with a total duration of 120 minutes. Candidates will have 40 minutes for each section and will not be allowed to switch between sections during the exam. The three sections continue to be:

    • Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC)

    • Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR)

    • Quantitative Ability (QA

    Eligibility Criteria For CAT 2026 Exam

    The eligibility criteria for the CAT 2026 exam are the same as last year. Candidates must hold a bachelor's degree with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% for SC, ST, and PwD candidates). Final-year students or candidates who are awaiting results can also apply for the CAT 2026 exam, given they fulfill other eligibility criteria and admission requirements at the time.

    CAT 2026 Marking Scheme

    As per the CAT 2026 notification released on July 25, 2026, the CAT 2026 marking scheme has also remained unchanged. The CAT 2026 exam will follow the same marking scheme:

    • +3 marks for each correct answer

    • -1 for incorrect or unanswered questions

    • No negative marking for TITA questions.

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    Reservation policy

    The CAT 2026 exam and admission will follow the same reservation policy as laid out by the Government of India.

    Syllabus

    Based on the official CAT 2026 notification released, the CAT 2026 exam syllabus remains unchanged. While there is no fixed CAT exam syllabus, the CAT 2026 notification has not specified any additions and/or deletions. The CAT 2026 exam will continue to assess candidates based on their abilities in the core sections of:

    • Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension (VARC)

    • Data Interpretation and Logical Reasoning (DILR)

    • Quantitative Ability (QA)

    Past 10 years CAT Question Papers with Solutions
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    CAT Exam Conducted by IIM Indore: A Comparison

    Here are some of the key factors that need to be looked at when comparing the CAT 2020 exam with the CAT 2026 exam, with IIM Indore being the conducting body for both.

    CAT 2020 Exam

    CAT 2026 Exam (expected)

    Balanced paper

    Moderate overall difficulty

    DILR was the key differentiator

    DILR likely to remain the toughest section

    RC dominated VARC

    Reading-intensive VARC expected

    Arithmetic-heavy Quant

    Similar topic distribution likely

    Accuracy mattered more than attempts

    Smart question selection will be crucial

    120-minute format

    No change

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